The Chronicle of Higher Education Posted My Letter To The Editor About Adam Smith And Jonathan Haidt

Evan Goldstein’s article ("Can Jonathan Haidt Calm the Culture Wars?" July 7) reminded me of a passage in The Theory of Moral Sentiments,
by Adam Smith, on the "animosity of hostile factions." Smith says there
are only a very few whose judgment is "untainted by the general
contagion." Haidt seems to be one of those few today. But Smith says
"such people are held in contempt" by "the furious zealots of both
parties" due to their candor, which is anathema to the "true party-man."
These zealots "impute all their own prejudices" and "all their own
vindictive and implacable passions" to the "great Judge of the
universe." We need people like Haidt to remind us of this ugly and
dangerous side of political righteousness.

Cyril Morong Associate Professor of Economics San Antonio College San Antonio